Bomb Threat or Hoax at Lourdes

Basilica of Lourdes, Hautes-Pyrénées, France

source: Wikimedia Commons

Assumption day, a very popular time for pilgrims to visit the shrine at Lourdes, was marred by the threat of bombs at the sanctuary. About 30,000 pilgrims were forced to evacuate the shrine and mill about for several hours until the police determined there were no bombs. BBC News Europe has a good report.

The major Christian pilgrimage sites have not had actual acts of terrorism or massive casualties caused by terrorists and bombs, but as with all places where large numbers of people congregate, national authorities fret constantly about the possibility. Security was a major concern during the recent celebrations at Santiago de Compostela, and some pilgrims complained of the massive presence of police, the Guardia Civil and the military over the St. James Day weekend in July. French authorities have been on high alert during the summer pilgrimage season at Lourdes and quickly responded with evacuation orders when the bomb threat, apparently a hoax, was received. The horrors which have accompanied pilgrimages to the Shia Islamic holy city of Karbala in Iraq are not far from the minds of security planners. In a very real way the terrorists have won a major battle, scaring all and sundry even when the threat is not real.